Silesian Confederate Navy
Intenal affairs of the Silesian Confederacy caused, that the main duty of the Silesian Confederate Navy was suppression of breakaway secessionist movementsit was the reason for prohibition against armed merchantmen and other privately flagged warships in its territorial space; neighbouring powers warships presence had to be tolerated by Silesian government, there were an agreement concerning Andermani naval base in the Sachsen sector also (HH0, HH6, HH10), another exception were auxillary warrants (HH10); it is not certain on what basis Hauptman Cartel armed passenger liners were present there (HH6). Because of it there were very limited means to cope with extensive piracy present there. Moreover corrupted Silesian government members were notorious for illegal hand over the Silesian Confederate Navy ships to local piratesHH0, HH10, HH11, Jayne's, 15-20% of the ships were long gone before 1920 P.D.. All that factors, as well as poor quality of ships and personnel, caused that the Silesian Confederate Navy in 19th and 20th centuries P.D. was a second-rate fleet. Structure and command There were mentioned eight units squadron and two unit divisions, however Silesian Confederate Navy detachments were not described as fleets, task forces, task groups or squadrons (HH6, HH11). * Some commander of naval operations probably was appointed by Confederacy central government, located in the Silesia system, Silesia sectorPrime Minister and cabinet referred in HH0; eg. heavy cruiser reinforcements mentioned in HH0 were directed in 1880 P.D. by somebody to Saginaw sector, as well as Sachsen naval department - to the Psyche system, Saginaw sector, in 1909 P.D. (HH6). In 1672 P.D. capital navy detachment was weaker then Manticoran task group consisted of battleships squadron and two 2 divisions of SDsaccording to Jayne's that task group, sent to the Silesia system, caused fall of pirate supporting Silesian government. * Sector governorSilesian Confederacy was divided into 9 sectors was military commander-in-chief of the sector. He was assisted by sector naval commanderin the Saginaw sector in 1880 P.D. naval commander was in rank of Commodore. There were no standard size for sector navy detachment - in 1880 P.D. in the Saginaw sector it included ships not bigger than light cruiserand had to be supported with heavy crusiers against Prism rebellion (HH0), but in the Sachsen sector c.a. 1909 P.D. it was described as powerfulHH6, so it consisted probably even of battlecruisers; on the other hand Sachsen sector navy detachment wasn't mentioned at all, when events of year 1919 P.D. were described (HH10). It seems also, that sector detachments were unsufficient force to supress as strong rebellions as that in Prism, Saginaw sector, or in the Chalice cluster, Terrance sectorboth operated at least dozen warships strong navies contained even of heavy cruisers. * System governor was assisted by system naval commander with command staffHH11, system governor was in charge also with local security force - police - equipped with LACs (Zoraster system, HH10). There were no standard size for system navy detachment: ** it was possible that battlecruiser squadron was assigned to system navy detachmenta fake one, revealed in 1920 P.D. (HH11), ** there were possible systems, where limited navy detachment was stationed, eg. the Telmach system detachment was described as a "joke", the heaviest unit of the Schiller system detachment was corvette (HH6) and in the Zoraster system probably stationed security forces LACs only (HH10), ** there were possible systems where was no navy detachment - eg. the Walther system in 1909 P.D.no naval base, but just small customs station (HH6). Ranks See: Silesian naval ranks Military actions * Rebells suppression: ** in the Prism system, Saginaw sector - c.a. 1880 P.D., outside heavy cruisers reinforcements were engaged (HH0), ** in the Chalice cluster, Terrance sector - before 1909 P.D., more than one T-year of battle (HH6), ** in the Psyche system, Saginaw sector - rebellion mentioned c.a. 1880 P.D., c.a. 1909 P.D. Sachsen detachment was planned to be engaged there (HH0, HH6). * Privateer chase (HH10). Under the Royal Manticoran Navy command It is not certain how the Silesian Confederacy was dividedthere were main IAN Sachsen Station and a small permanent picket in the Tyler's Star system c.a. 1901 P.D. (HHA4), there were also some Andermani operations in the Saginaw sector c.a. 1880 P.D., conected with economic affairs in the Melchor system and military support for Prism rebels (HH0) by Andermani Empire and Star Kingdom of Manticore in 1920 P.D. and what was Andermani policy towards the Silesian Confederate Navy remnants. Royal Manticoran Navy established its Silesia Stationissue of peripheral than Sidemore Station is not certain and appointed Admiral Mark Sarnow as senior officer there. Sarnow beginned reorganization of subordinated Silesian forces by completely reshuffling the systems' command staffs and decommission of older units connected with update of official ship list. There's been a lot of passive resistance to Admiral Sarnow's instructions to decommission so many of older units and even more obstructionism to staffs reshuffling. It wasn't possible to account for almost thirty percent of the Confeds' official ship list also. At least half, but more probably two-thirds of the lacking ships were long gone before annexation of the Silesian Confederacyeg. for fraud purposes one of the system governors and his local naval commander were listing an entire squadron of battlecruisers and to twenty thousand personnel — as present on active duty when they didn't even exist (HH11). Some of those ships really did disappear, however it was suspected, that part of them converted from part-time to full-time pirates (HH11). Ships Sliesian navy consisted very likely of light ships onlyaccording to SITS, Shipbook 2.0, neighbouring powers sent there warships not bigger than battlecruiser (Jayne's, HH0, HH6). According to Saganami Island Tactical Simulator - Shipbook 2.0 the Silesian Confederate Navy used at least 7 ship classes c.a. 1900 P.D.: * Mazur-class LAC - LAC’s used by local security forces were mentioned in HH10, * Gryf-class frigate - frigates were mentioned in HH0, * Cheslav-class destroyer - destroyers, including small ones were mentioned in HH0 and HHA4, * Wroclaw-class light cruiser - light cruisers were mentioned in HH0, * Telmach-class and Jarmon-class heavy cruisers - heavy cruisers, including small ones were mentioned in HH0, * Silesia-class battlecruiser - battlecruisers were mentioned in HH11. There was corvette mentioned in HH6, however it is not certain if it was small hypercapable warship or a kind of LAC. In 1672 P.D. the Silesian Confederate Navy had some modern unitshanded over by pirates in connection with Commodore Saganami antipirate actions (Jayne's). In 1880 P.D. part of older units was obsolete (HH0). In 19th and 20th century P.D. the Silesian Confederate Navy had unified standard for sensor and EW systems, but that systems were much worse than its Manticoran or Havenite counterparts (HH0, HH6). Silesian origin warships were built with more numerous and stronger energy weapons than missile tubesHH6, however according to SITS pictures Silesia-class battle cruiser had 20 missiles big broadside salvo and few energy weapons ports only, and Chalice origin destroyer was as strongly armed as Bastogne-class/City-class destroyer. Heavy cruiser capable shipyard was present in the Chalice cluster, Saginaw sector (HH6). Few names of Silesian warships appeared in Honorverse books only: * Telmach-class heavy cruiser ''Versimov'', (Jayne's), * light cruiser ''Lydia''name at Prism Space Navy (HH0), possibly Wroclaw-class, * two auxillary armed merchant cruisers: Pirates' Bane and Ambuscade - rearmed and refited Vogel-class armed colliersat least Pirates' Bane derivated from Vogel-class, both ships owned by Thomas Bachfisch (HH10). External links * map of Silesia at Baen Bookssome Silesian systems not marked, eg. Prism, Saginaw sector * comparative ranks of the Silesian Confederacy * Silesian navy ranks insignia * specultative examples of Silesian origin vessels at Nefarious Honorverse Ship Listlight cruiser had 6 missile tubes on each broadside, not 10, but on the other hand it woud be as strong as Bastogne-class like destroyer (HH6) * Bohemian page with Sliesian naval officer picture - left down corner References Category: Star nations